Finding Balance in Dance with Mindful Dance Dimensions

Mindful Dance Dimensions is a holistic model for navigating the dance world. With a fully dimensional view of what is involved in the creation, performance, education, and administration of dance, we can make smarter, healthier, balanced decisions. Emphasis is on finding balance in all dimensions. Using the metaphor of the classic Greek and Buddhist elements (note: Chinese elements differ), Dance Dimensions lays the foundation for elemental balance in all facets of dance.

The traditional Greek elements of Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Essence have been used throughout history as metaphors of life's many dimensions. If you list every aspect of dance, you will find they each fit into one of these five categories. Most people involved in the dance world take a one-dimensional approach. The choreographer who sees a dancer only as a physical body to be ordered around and shaped, does not recognize the value of the individual dancer's heart, spirit, mind, or soul.

Dancer's are a hardy stock and deal surprisingly well with insensitive choreographers and directors, but imagine how much richer an experience a choreographer would get from dancers if they were engaged mentally, emotionally, passionately, and spiritually, along with the single physical dimension. Now imagine how much richer a students experience would be if the teacher taught them not just steps but integrity, creativity, passion, and how to truly relate and connect with fellow dancers as well as audience members. The current states of dance education, choreography, performance, and administration suffer from one-dimensional approaches.

Mindful Dance Dimensions strives for balance of all dimensions. It does not dictate values for each category. Those will depend on the individual dancer or organization. An awareness of multiple dimensions gives a holistic view of any particular aspect of dance.

EARTH DIMENSION (body)

As dancers, we spend the majority of our time working with our bodies. We are perhaps more familiar with the ins and outs of our bodies and physical sensations than any other dimension. The earth dimension represents the solid, physical, and tangible aspects of being a dancer. It entails our physical body, training, technical skill, fundamentals, facility (flexibility), strength, environment (studio and stage space), plans, logistical intelligence, and support systems.

The physicality of a dancer with a strong earth dimension may impress us with their solid technical training, flexibility, and strength. They may benefit from strong support system (good teachers, good school, good support from family and friends), and reliable opportunities.

A dancer with a weak earth dimension may have physical limitations (poor flexibility or strength), poor training, limited support, and inconsistent opportunities.

WATER DIMENSION (heart)

When a dancer catches our attention in performance, they win over our hearts with their brilliant technique (Earth) or their dynamic expressive abilities (Water). The water dimension represents the fluid world of our feelings and emotions. It entails our expressiveness, relationships with others, connections, networks, feelings, emotions, and sensitivity.

A dancer with a strong water dimension may have remarkable expressive abilities, good relationships with other dancers, teachers, and directors, an ability to connect and move an audience, a strong social network in the field, and is likely to be sensitive to the feelings and emotions of those around them.

A dancer with a weak water dimension may have poor performance quality, strained relationships with those around them, feel isolated, and can be insensitive to others feelings as they focus on themselves primarily.

FIRE DIMENSION (spirit)

A fiery dancer captures us with their enthusiastic commitment to movement and their love of dance. The fire dimension represents the dynamic world of our action and motion. It entails our spirit, mission, action, coordination, drive, will, radiance, and energy.

A dancer with a strong fire dimension may have tremendous drive and passion, high motivation, natural physical coordination, a radiant stage presence, and is quick to take action.

A dancer with a weak fire dimension may have low self-motivation, low natural coordination, poor stage presence, and be timid in the studio or performance space.

AIR DIMENSION (mind)

A dancer with high amounts of air inspires us with their creativity, vision, and focus. The air dimension represents the spacious world of our thoughts and ideas. It entails our inspiration, intention, focus, ideas, vision, creativity, and intelligence.

A dancer with a strong air dimension may have great ideas, a deep understanding of the mental aspects of dance, creative ability as choreographers, strong focus, a clear vision of what dance means to them, and often enjoys improvisation and exploration.

A dancer with a weak air dimension may feel uninspired, unclear, unfocused, wants to be told what to do and not to have to think for themselves, and is uncomfortable with improvisation.

ESSENCE DIMENSION (soul)

A dancer with high amounts of essence quietly impresses us with their strong sense of integrity. The essence dimension represents the inner world of our core values and ideals. It entails our spirituality, awareness, core values, soul, and integrity.

A dancer with a strong essence dimension may not be easily swayed by trends, fads, fame, or fortune. They have a strong sense of their self and what they believe in. Their actions and words do not betray their personal values. Their strong sense of self may help them better to balance the ups and downs of a life in dance.

A dancer with a weak essence dimension may believe one thing and do another, not question the validity of traditions and rules set down by peers or those in authority, or could easily be swayed by the opinions of others.

BALANCE

Emphasis is on finding balance in all dimensions. While exploring each of the dimensions, take inventory of which elements you use most and which could use more attention. Think of colleagues, students, or organizations that are strong in certain elements and deficient in others. Then come to your own conclusions on whether taking a multidimensional, holistic approach works for you.

James Robey is Founding Artistic Director of the Bare Bones Dance Project, Artistic Director of Ridgefield Conservatory of Dance and Adjunct Faculty member at The Hartt School at University of Hartford where he teaches Horton Modern technique and Jazz Dance. James is active in the Connecticut, New York, and National dance communities as a guest artist, master teacher, independent choreographer, and lecturer. For more information visit http://web.mac.com/jamesrobeydance

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